Clutching her four-month-old baby in her arms, a blanket, an envelope containing vital documents, and a backpack, Laura was left with only these possessions when she fled on Thursday night. This 28-year-old woman had peacefully resided on Rue Capois, not far from Place Jérémie, for nearly a decade. Like thousands of others, she was compelled to abandon her home in search of safety. Tears welled in Laura's eyes as she pondered what she had done to deserve such a fate. She was not alone in questioning her circumstances.

Each individual brought with them whatever they could carry—often their most cherished belongings—depending on their mode of transportation or whether their destination remained accessible. Some were uncertain about their destinations. Take, for example, the young man we encountered at Champ de Mars, carrying a scant supply of clothes in his backpack and a radio. "No possession is worth a life," he declared solemnly. "It's a tragedy that the authorities have forsaken the residents. It's truly disheartening and cruel," lamented the young man in his thirties, dressed in a yellow jersey with a blue cap. "I still don't know where I'll sleep tonight. I may face death tonight, but not in Carrefour-Feuilles," he added. This young man had previously operated a small soft drink business on Magloire Ambroise Avenue.